Ernst Lubitsch

Ernst Lubitsch

Directing

January 28, 1892 — November 30, 1947Berlin, Germany

Ernst Lubitsch (January 29, 1892 – November 30, 1947) was a German film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as his prestige grew, his films were promoted as having "the Lubitsch touch". Lubitsch is best known for screwball comedies and romantic comedies, such as Trouble in Paradise (1932), Ninotchka (1939), The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). While being escapist, his films often offer social commentary on human relationships and society in a satirical way. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States.

Known for

The Shop Around the Corner

The Shop Around the Corner

1940

To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be

1942

Ninotchka

Ninotchka

1939

Trouble in Paradise

Trouble in Paradise

1932

Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

1943

To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be

1983

Design for Living

Design for Living

1933

Dragonwyck

Dragonwyck

1946

Bluebeard's 8th Wife

Bluebeard's 8th Wife

1938

Cluny Brown

Cluny Brown

1946

Directing74

That Lady in Ermine

That Lady in Ermine

1948

Director

Cluny Brown

Cluny Brown

1946

Director

Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

1943

Director

To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be

1942

Director

That Uncertain Feeling

That Uncertain Feeling

1941

Director

The Shop Around the Corner

The Shop Around the Corner

1940

Director

Ninotchka

Ninotchka

1939

Director

Bluebeard's 8th Wife

Bluebeard's 8th Wife

1938

Director

Angel

Angel

1937

Director

The Merry Widow

The Merry Widow

1934

Director

Design for Living

Design for Living

1933

Director

The Clerk

The Clerk

1933

Director

If I Had a Million

If I Had a Million

1932

Director

Trouble in Paradise

Trouble in Paradise

1932

Director

One Hour with You

One Hour with You

1932

Director

Broken Lullaby

Broken Lullaby

1932

Director

The Smiling Lieutenant

The Smiling Lieutenant

1931

Director

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo

1930

Director

Paramount on Parade

Paramount on Parade

1930

Director

The Vagabond King

The Vagabond King

1930

Co-Director

The Love Parade

The Love Parade

1929

Director

Eternal Love

Eternal Love

1929

Director

The Patriot

The Patriot

1928

Director

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg

1928

Director

The Honeymoon Express

The Honeymoon Express

1926

Director

So This Is Paris

So This Is Paris

1926

Director

Lady Windermere's Fan

Lady Windermere's Fan

1925

Director

Kiss Me Again

Kiss Me Again

1925

Director

Three Women

Three Women

1924

Director

The Marriage Circle

The Marriage Circle

1924

Director

Forbidden Paradise

Forbidden Paradise

1924

Director

Screen Tests for Faust

Screen Tests for Faust

1923

Director

Rosita

Rosita

1923

Director

Die Flamme

Die Flamme

1923

Director

The Loves of Pharaoh

The Loves of Pharaoh

1922

Director

The Wildcat

The Wildcat

1921

Director

Anna Boleyn

Anna Boleyn

1920

Director

Sumurun

Sumurun

1920

Director

Romeo and Juliet in the Snow

Romeo and Juliet in the Snow

1920

Director

Kohlhiesel's Daughters

Kohlhiesel's Daughters

1920

Director

The Housing Shortage

The Housing Shortage

1920

Director

The Doll

The Doll

1919

Director

Madame DuBarry

Madame DuBarry

1919

Director

Intoxication

Intoxication

1919

Director

The Oyster Princess

The Oyster Princess

1919

Director

Käsekönig Holländer

Käsekönig Holländer

1919

Director

The Swabian Maiden

The Swabian Maiden

1919

Director

My Wife, the Movie Star

My Wife, the Movie Star

1919

Director

Meyer from Berlin

Meyer from Berlin

1919

Director

Carmen

Carmen

1918

Director

The Eyes of the Mummy

The Eyes of the Mummy

1918

Director

I Don't Want to Be a Man

I Don't Want to Be a Man

1918

Director

The Rosentopf Case

The Rosentopf Case

1918

Director

The Ballet Girl

The Ballet Girl

1918

Director

The Toboggan Cavalier

The Toboggan Cavalier

1918

Director

Prinz Sami

Prinz Sami

1918

Director

Fuhrmann Henschel

Fuhrmann Henschel

1918

Director

The Merry Jail

The Merry Jail

1917

Director

When Four Do the Same

When Four Do the Same

1917

Director

Der Blusenkönig

Der Blusenkönig

1917

Director

Ossis Tagebuch

1917

Director

The Tenor, Inc.

The Tenor, Inc.

1916

Director

The New Nose

1916

Director

The Most Beautiful Gift

The Most Beautiful Gift

1916

Director

The Mixed Ladies Chorus

The Mixed Ladies Chorus

1916

Director

Pinkus's Shoe Palace

Pinkus's Shoe Palace

1916

Director

Where Is My Treasure?

Where Is My Treasure?

1916

Director

The Last Suit

1915

Director

The Bodybuilder

The Bodybuilder

1915

Director

His Only Patient

His Only Patient

1915

Director

Miss Soapsuds

Miss Soapsuds

1915

Director

Blind Cow

1915

Director

Sugar and Cinnamon

Sugar and Cinnamon

1915

Director

A Trip on the Ice

A Trip on the Ice

1915

Director

Acting42

100 Years of the UFA

100 Years of the UFA

2017

Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

From Caligari to Hitler

From Caligari to Hitler

2015

Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

Lubitsch, le patron

Lubitsch, le patron

2010

Self (Archival footage)

Hitler: A Career

Hitler: A Career

1977

Self (archive footage)

The Eternal Jew

The Eternal Jew

1940

Self (archive footage)

Ninotchka

Ninotchka

1939

Himself - Director in Trailer (uncredited)

Mr. Broadway

Mr. Broadway

1933

Ernst Lubitsch

Life in Hollywood

Life in Hollywood

1927

Self

Sumurun

Sumurun

1920

Yeggar - the Hunchback Beggar

The Doll

The Doll

1919

Director in Prologue (uncredited)

Käsekönig Holländer

Käsekönig Holländer

1919

Meyer from Berlin

Meyer from Berlin

1919

Sally Meyer

The Rosentopf Case

The Rosentopf Case

1918

Sally

The Toboggan Cavalier

The Toboggan Cavalier

1918

Sally Piner

Prinz Sami

Prinz Sami

1918

Prinz Sami

When Four Do the Same

When Four Do the Same

1917

Bit Role

Der Blusenkönig

Der Blusenkönig

1917

Hans Trutz in the Land of Milk and Honey

Hans Trutz in the Land of Milk and Honey

1917

Der Teufel Satan

The Tenor, Inc.

The Tenor, Inc.

1916

Sally

The New Nose

1916

Ernst

The Most Beautiful Gift

The Most Beautiful Gift

1916

Verehrer

The Mixed Ladies Chorus

The Mixed Ladies Chorus

1916

Dirigent

Pinkus's Shoe Palace

Pinkus's Shoe Palace

1916

Sally Pinkus

Doctor Satanson

Doctor Satanson

1916

Dr. Satansohn

Where Is My Treasure?

Where Is My Treasure?

1916

Ernst

How I Was Murdered

How I Was Murdered

1915

The Last Suit

1915

The Bodybuilder

The Bodybuilder

1915

Stubenhocker

Robert and Bertram

Robert and Bertram

1915

Kommis Max Edelstein

His Only Patient

His Only Patient

1915

Doktor

Miss Soapsuds

Miss Soapsuds

1915

Miss Bellboy

Miss Bellboy

1915

Pinkeles

Sugar and Cinnamon

Sugar and Cinnamon

1915

Blind Cow

1915

Verlobter

A Trip on the Ice

A Trip on the Ice

1915

Ernst

Arme Maria

1915

Commissioner Moritz Rosenthal

The Pride of the Firm

The Pride of the Firm

1914

Siegmund Lachmann

A Venetian Night

A Venetian Night

1914

The Firm Gets Married

The Firm Gets Married

1914

Moritz Abramowski / Siegmund Lachmann (Lehrling)

The Ideal Wife

The Ideal Wife

1913

Krispin

The Miracle

The Miracle

1912

Spielmann

Das Mirakel

1912

Writing30

To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be

1983

Story

The Clerk

The Clerk

1933

Writer

If I Had a Million

If I Had a Million

1932

Writer

The Smiling Lieutenant

The Smiling Lieutenant

1931

Writer

The Last Command

The Last Command

1928

Writer

Three Women

Three Women

1924

Writer

The Wildcat

The Wildcat

1921

Writer

Sumurun

Sumurun

1920

Writer

Romeo and Juliet in the Snow

Romeo and Juliet in the Snow

1920

Writer

Kohlhiesel's Daughters

Kohlhiesel's Daughters

1920

Writer

The Housing Shortage

The Housing Shortage

1920

Writer

The Doll

The Doll

1919

Writer

The Oyster Princess

The Oyster Princess

1919

Writer

Käsekönig Holländer

Käsekönig Holländer

1919

Writer

My Wife, the Movie Star

My Wife, the Movie Star

1919

Writer

I Don't Want to Be a Man

I Don't Want to Be a Man

1918

Writer

The Rosentopf Case

The Rosentopf Case

1918

Writer

The Toboggan Cavalier

The Toboggan Cavalier

1918

Writer

Prinz Sami

Prinz Sami

1918

Writer

The Merry Jail

The Merry Jail

1917

Writer

When Four Do the Same

When Four Do the Same

1917

Writer

Der Blusenkönig

Der Blusenkönig

1917

Writer

Ossis Tagebuch

1917

Writer

The New Nose

1916

Writer

The Most Beautiful Gift

The Most Beautiful Gift

1916

Writer

Where Is My Treasure?

Where Is My Treasure?

1916

Writer

The Bodybuilder

The Bodybuilder

1915

Writer

Miss Soapsuds

Miss Soapsuds

1915

Writer

Blind Cow

1915

Writer

Sugar and Cinnamon

Sugar and Cinnamon

1915

Writer

Production26

That Lady in Ermine

That Lady in Ermine

1948

Producer

Cluny Brown

Cluny Brown

1946

Producer

Dragonwyck

Dragonwyck

1946

Producer

A Royal Scandal

A Royal Scandal

1945

Producer

Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

1943

Producer

To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be

1942

Producer

That Uncertain Feeling

That Uncertain Feeling

1941

Producer

The Shop Around the Corner

The Shop Around the Corner

1940

Producer

Ninotchka

Ninotchka

1939

Executive Producer

Bluebeard's 8th Wife

Bluebeard's 8th Wife

1938

Producer

Angel

Angel

1937

Producer

Desire

Desire

1936

Producer

The Merry Widow

The Merry Widow

1934

Producer

Design for Living

Design for Living

1933

Producer

If I Had a Million

If I Had a Million

1932

Production Supervisor

Trouble in Paradise

Trouble in Paradise

1932

Producer

One Hour with You

One Hour with You

1932

Producer

Broken Lullaby

Broken Lullaby

1932

Producer

The Smiling Lieutenant

The Smiling Lieutenant

1931

Producer

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo

1930

Producer

The Love Parade

The Love Parade

1929

Producer

The Patriot

The Patriot

1928

Producer

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg

1928

Producer

The Marriage Circle

The Marriage Circle

1924

Producer

Sugar and Cinnamon

Sugar and Cinnamon

1915

Producer

A Trip on the Ice

A Trip on the Ice

1915

Producer

Editing2

The Patriot

The Patriot

1928

Editor

Lady Windermere's Fan

Lady Windermere's Fan

1925

Editor

Crew1

A Letter to Freddy Buache

A Letter to Freddy Buache

1983

In Memory Of